Lack of finishing sees Poppies go down 2-0 at Stevenage Borough

January 23, 2010—

Stevenage Borough 2
Long 63, 90

Kettering Town 0

Kettering Town take on current table-toppers Stevenage Borough today and Lee Harper has new signing Appiah on the bench with Marna and Kelly up front and Abbey in goal.

A lively start for both teams but little quality in the final ball as the midfield battle takes precedence in the early stages. Nathan Abbey had to be alert twice to deny the home side from a free-kick and then a snap shot from David Bridges as both sides pressed forward within the first 15 minutes.

A nasty clash of heads on 21 minues between Andre Boucaud and Jon Aston results in both players leaving the field and being replaced by Jordan Hadfield and Joel Byrom respectively. James Dance tries his luck and Roberts has to put a good block in to deny the ball reaching it's target.

Another free-kick wasted by Kettering with a poor effort from Kelly that flies way high over the crossbar without ever troubling goalkeeper Day. A break from Stevenage and a goalmouth scramble as Abbey spills a shot from Lee Boylan and another effort from the loose ball by Chris Beardsley is cleared off the line by James Jennings. A huge let-off for Kettering.

Tempers boil over as both James Jennings and Ronnie Henry go into the referee's notebook after a scuffle. With five minutes of normal time the match has deteriorated into a scrappy affair as both sides battling in the middle of the park. Hadfield fires high over the crossbar for Kettering.

Half-time:   Stevenage Borough 0 Kettering Town 0

The second-half gets underway with Kettering in their Blue away strip looking to do better in the second period with their final third ball. The match still being played at a fierce tempo as Jordan Hadfield goes into the referee's notebook for a sliding challenge the official deemed to be a little late on David Bridges.

No sign of suffering any after effects as Bridges gets up, races down the field and forces a save out of Nathan Abbey. Beardsley wins a free-kick for the home side which Henry delivers but Abbey rushes out to collect the ball and clear the danger for Kettering.

Boro' break through Boylan and the ball played into David Bridges but this time his shot is way over the crossbar and doesn't trouble the busier Nathan Abbey. Kettering counter and Marcus Kelly on the edge of the area again shows his struggle to find his finishing quality continues with another poor effort. Tim Sills is brought on as a substitute for Yemi Odubade on the hour mark.

GOAL:   Another break from the home side and Sills the latest substitute makes an immediate contribution and heads the ball down to set up Stacy Long and he blasts the ball past Nathan Abbey to put Stevenage Borough 1-0 up on 63 minutes. Kettering bring on Kwesi Appiah for Darren Wrack.

Kettering will need to improve their final ball and certainly their finishing to come away from this one with anything as the home sides are edging the match going into the final 20 minutes. Another break in play as an injury to Boylan forces a Boro' substitution with Peter Vincenti coming on to replace him.

Into the final 15 minutes of normal time and Ketteing must press forward with a little more urgency while trailing by the single goal and keeping it tight at the back to avoid a Borough breakaway counter-attack. A corner to Kettering as Jean-Paul Marna presses the home defence but it's headed clear and an offside is given as the ball comes back into the area.

A free-kick from Bostwick goes well wide of the mark for Boro' and Greg Taylor comes on to replace James Jennings for the five minutes left before time added on. Kettering just cannot seem to penetrate the Boro' defence and get in that qualify finish that would provide a possible equaliser as the minutes tick away.

Roberts heads behind for a corner to Kettering and the blue shirts press forward but as the ball drops inside the area yet again it's blasted sky-high and way over the crossbar as the finishing from Kettering so far this afternoon has been truly dreadful with Jordan Hadfield being the culprit this time around.

Into time added-on of four minutes and it's last chance time for Kettering to try and get anything from this match. Plenty of huff and puff with added grit for Kettering but just can't produce a decent shot at goal as Roberts pokes the ball behind for another Poppies corner.

GOAL:   Abbey racing back into his area as as poor delivery sees Boro' break and luckily the ball in was also poor from the home side and Kettering are able to clear but the attack breaks down and as the home side break clear they have the man advantage and as Abbey commits himself Stacy Long slots the ball past him and into the net to wrap up the match at 2-0.

A setback for Kettering and entirely down to a lack of quality finishing. They might have been slightly edged on the play by Boro' but the Poppies had enough of their own chances to have put a different gloss on the scoreline and the difference there to see as Stacy Long provided the how-to-finish demonstration.

Att: 2,136

Kettering Town: Abbey, Eaden, Dempster, Roper, Jennings, Dance, Wrack, Boucaud, Noubissie, Kelly, Marna. Subs: Cooper, Hadfield, Appiah, Taylor, Thomas.

Stevenage Borough: Day, Henry, Bostwick, Ashton, Roberts, Cole, Long, Bridges, Boylan, Odubade, Beardsley. Subs: Bayes, Albrighton, Byrom, Sills, Vincenti.